In my personal opinion, NVIDIA's SHIELD Tablet has been one of the better Android tablets on the market for the last year and a half (give or take). Sure, it's had its ups and downs — a mandatory recall due to battery issues back in August probably hurt it more than anything, but NVIDIA did what was right and replaced all affected units.

Around that same time, SHIELD Tablet as we knew it was EOL'd. Initially we kind of assumed that this was because NVIDIA was prepping to release SHIELD Tablet 2, but we haven't seen nor heard anything about that. Now the company is bringing back the original SHIELD Tablet, albeit with a few changes and a nice new price tag.

First off, let's talk about what's different. The basic hardware is the same — eight-inch 1080p display, 2 GB RAM, Tegra K1 processor. It's currently running Android 5.1.1, but NVIDIA already plans to push Marshmallow to it (along with existing SHIELD Tablet units) by the end of the year. The primary change on the hardware front is that the stylus has been removed (even the bay is gone). The display technology is still there for users who wants to pick up a stylus of their own and use it, so they didn't kill it completely — it's just not part of the package now. The DirectStylus options are also missing from settings, which makes sense since most of that was controlling what happens when the stylus is removed from the bay. No stylus bay, no need for options. I miss the screenshot tools and stylus-only mode on this model.

Top: Original SHIELD Tablet; Bottom: SHIELD Tablet K1

The other main difference is that there's only one version this time, and it's the 16GB Wi-Fi model. There is no option for 32GB of storage, nor is a carrier-connected version available. One tablet keeps things simple. And of course there's a microSD expansion slot that allows for more storage to be tacked on whenever users see fit. So, really, the 16GB of storage isn't that big of a deal.

Since there's only one version, there's one price: $199. That's an insanely-good price for a tablet this powerful and well-supported. I'll be the first to admit that when I got the news they were re-releasing SHIELD Tablet instead of dropping a new one on us, I was a little bummed. But when I saw the price, well, that kind of made up for it. Don't get me wrong, I still want a Tegra X1-powered SHIELD Tablet, but getting the K1 for $199 is a damn sweet deal.

Top: Original SHIELD Tablet; Bottom: SHIELD Tablet K1

There is one other thing NVIDIA cut in order to get the price so low, however, and it's one that I've never seen before: the charger. Yeah, SHIELD Tablet K1 doesn't ship with a charger. It makes sense from a cost-perspective, but I think it's kind of a ballsy move. The thinking here is that most users already have half a dozen phone chargers lying around that will have no issues juicing up SHIELD Tablet, which I do agree with. But I also think a lot of customers are going to be dumbfounded at this choice if they don't know about the lack of a charger going into it.

Of course, NVIDIA gets that people may need or want a charger just for the SHIELD Tablet, so there's a "World Charger" available for $30 alongside STK1 that basically includes a charger for every region in the world.

Otherwise, this is essentially the same tablet we've seen before. There are minor differences here and there — like slightly different speaker grilles and a newer SHIELD logo on the back (both shown above) — but the meat and potatoes are still the same. Same display, same software, same performance. And it's going to get even better with Marshmallow, because everything is better with Marshmallow.

SHIELD Tablet K1 and all applicable accessories (like the world charger and game controller) are available beginning today from a handful of retailers. If you've been on the fence about picking up a SHIELD Tablet (or just really wanted to get one this holiday season for a loved one), now's the time. There's no word on how long this second-coming will last, but I have a feeling we may see it go away after the first of the year.

Comments

It would be interesting to see if the current development for the SHIELD Tablet can be deployed seamlessly in this stripped-down model. It should, but...

Roh_Mish

Except for the stylus, there is no change hardware internal wise. So it should be the same. (Or close enough to make it working with little changes)

hkklife

16GB storage is a joke for a gaming-oriented tablet, no matter the cost. And no one had better dare mention Marshmallow & adoptable storage because that's a half-assed excuse. I would rather see it with 32GB and priced at, say, $229, which was the N7 2013's debut price for 16GB back in July 2013. Or just give it 64GB and sell it for $250. EMMC is so cheap nowadays that cutting corners like this is an insult and Android game installs are growing larger by the day.

Yeah I love that they said that too - "no one had better say the one thing I already know completely destroys my argument!" It's not a half assed excuse, it's brilliant. In the UK (where all tech is more expensive than the US), you can pick up a fast 32GB microSD card for £8 (~$12 US), which would mean you could get 48GB total storage for less than hkkklife wants to pay for 32GB... I know which one I think is the better deal!

Andreas

Not really: I own a shield (16gb) and I found that not all apps allow themselves to be moved to your SD. I rooted my shield and installed foldermount to get around this, but I would prefer the clean solution in Android 6 (or larger storage in general).

That beeing said, it's a great device and one that I'd advice this to anyone who's looking for a good high-end tablet.

I just got the K1 the other day, what does Marshmallow do that makes this tablet better? What storage options change as well? I know it seems right now there are some battery life problems for people who updated, is this widespread?

kenjab

Are you sure? Are there any devices yet that have Marshmallow and an SD slot so we can confirm that apps run as well as on the on-board storage? Sorry, but after years of Google ignoring SD cards as a viable app storage option, I'm skeptical that they suddenly do it flawlessly.

To be honest, I'm all don't know, don't care. I have the 32GB Shield Tablet with a 64GB SD card slotted in and a 16GB LG G3 with a 64 GB SD card slotted in. I don't have these problems you guys are having.

Honestly, it really doesn't matter. NVIDIA basically includes seamless integration with SD cards on all SHIELD devices out of the box. It'll probably just get better with Marshmallow.

kenjab

That's right, I forgot that the SHIELD had the improved SD integration all along. I've been pissed about the lack of app storage on my 16GB G Pad so it's a sensitive topic right now.

RTWright

Just don't try to move files in a file explorer from Internal to SD, then it becomes a nightmare. I use Solid Explorer and you really need to root the device to see any real ease of use on SD storage. Thanks to Google for f'n things up with it's stupid ass stance against SD cards in Android.

Now moving the installed apps to the SD card is easy, just going into the Apps in Settings and choosing to move it there it works fine. As for performance, don't be cheap, by a really good class 10 card. I have the 32GB LTE SHIELD tablet and it's great no matter if the game is on my internal or SD.

I do agree though, 16GB storage levels are stupid, just flat stupid. Today even standard Apps are getting bigger, and on a 16GB internal you're only going to get at best 8GB of it free before you even install anything. So I agree it should have been 32GB minimum. That kind of memory is so cheap now, there is no excuse to release any tablet or smartphone with 16GB.

Dedren

It is certainly not seamless. In fact it is the same integration as any other Android device. Still have to manage the storage yourself. Some apps don't support it (most games do). I have a 128 GB in my card (most of it is used for Plex sync), but when I fill up that tiny 16GB I have to manually move stuff over.

Sir_Brizz

The Shield exclusive games do, which is all that matters since they are also the largest games by a big margin.

Now if you start comparing to U3 classed cards, and some of the extreme variants of those that are used for 4k/60 or above on drones and specialty sport cams and such... then we might be talking some pretty good access speed.

Still, even then, the transfer speed is limited by the device and the chipset handling the interconnect to the SD card.

Sir_Brizz

Class 10 cards are fast enough to "stream data" without the user noticing. You can easily play games from a Class 10 card without issues. Of course there are faster cards, and recording 4k video directly to the card makes even faster cards necessary.

"Fast enough" is certainly subjective and very debatable. I notice lag in applications moved to a normal class 10 card, and is less noticeable on a U3 ranked card (but still there as the chipset limits the throughput). It is certainly workable for many types of apps and/or games, but it is far from optimal.

Yeah, for high-throughput applications like 4k video, high framerate (1080/120 or 240+), or stereoscopic and depth enhanced video (computer vision or stuff like Lytro or 3D rigs) would certainly put more stress on the system where both a compatible chipset and a card that is in excess of U3 baseline spec to function well.

Which is why things like very high end video cameras are now using SSDs as data cards instead of actual cards or tape. I imagine they might migrate to a PCI-Express M.2 or SATA-Express method soon to allow even higher throughput.

The biggest Android games out there are under 4GB (and even those close to 4GB are under 20 in number), while most hover around 1.2GB.
Along with OTG and modern cloud storage options, your thoughts there are the joke here. Seriously, are you really going to carry around a tablet with 40 games on it?

The thing is -> $10 for double the storage + $50 for extra RAM + $20 for a nice charger + $50 for better display + other tiny costs for minor improvements + manufacturing costs -> will endup at $1000. Tiny expenses are what makes flagships overpriced. This thing is Flagship performance at entry level price, so stop complaining.

And Marshmallow - it exists...and chances are everyone has 500000 SD cards all over the place anyway.

kenjab

Not sure what you're getting at here. A "16 GB" tablet usually has about 9-10 GB available to start with. With that you can only carry two 4GB games and an average 1.2GB game, so 3 total. Yes, someone with a GAMING tablet will want to have more than that on it. However, as Cameron mentioned in reply to my earlier comment, the SHIELD uses SD integration well so the SD card is a good solution for this device.

I'm pretty sure every 16GB tablet I've seen has had at least 12GB free (I've seen mostly no-brand ones, but the two Nexus 7s I have also seem to go with that).

kenjab

My "16GB" LG G Pad had barely over 9GB. Plus, keep in mind this isn't ONLY a gaming device. I'd still use other apps on it too.

WhoaManWtF

Yes I certainly would carry around a gaming tablet with 40+ games loaded on it... I have 100+ games installed on my PC, probably 20 on my Xbox and hell I would guess 30ish on my phone... Why would you not have 40+ games installed on a gaming tablet?

1 - a TABLET. You know, something you're supposed to carry around while not at home...remind me how many hardcore gamers are heavy travelers with very limited connectivity?
2 - this is not a PC or a console, stop treating it like one. And I'm pretty sure if you (for whatever reason) do have that many games installed, you maybe played 3 of them the last 7 days, possibly less.
3 - because most of them have shitty background notifications that want to make your head explode if you don't play them every 5 seconds?

kenjab

Clearly your experience with tablets is the exact opposite of mine and others responding to you. My tablet is used almost 100% at home because it's WiFi only. I like to go back and forth to games over the span of days/weeks and don't want to delete and reinstall all the time. And I only play Android games that don't have shitty background notifications, of which there are many.

Mine is also WiFi only (N7 2013) but I carry it around with me all the time, especially at work.
I do most of my gaming at on my N5, but for web browsing,music, video and games like Shadowrun, Heroes of Might and Magic 3 or Haegemonia, a tablet is just much better. What I personally do is just share the mobile connection from my phone to the tablet if no WiFi is available, though here pretty much every mall, cafe and even buses have free WiFi (not the case for every country but that is more and more common every day).

I'm telling people not to complain about getting an awesome tablet for next to nothing :V

Mizo

You do realize that the K1 with its awesome GPU at this price point. actually can outclass last gen consoles (xbc360/ps3).

That's before you load up GeforceNow, and play games with PC graphics in up to 1080p60.

Or if your a PC gamer, then you have the added bonus of taking your games with you around the house,
"run around and do gathering, in a mmo on your tablet. At the same time as you make dinner".
"Sit down on a Sunday to play solo, when relaxing in your Couch". With better graphics than PS4 or xbone can get close to.
A PC gamer with a descent fairly new setup, will be able to stream play games like:
The Witcher 3 in 4K 60FPS with absolutely everything turn all the way up (filtering, physics, anti-aliasing, shadows and textures, that crank up way past what ps4 and xbone. Can ever dream of handling).

In fact other then the ShieldTV with the X1, its the closest thing to a real next gen console that is available.
No other console, will let you play in 4k on your brand new 75" 4k TV.

It also have a mini-HDMI output and a full-screen mode (on external display) out of the box.

On top of all that, its really small like the ShieldTV. Giving it a really good WAS(Wife acceptance score). Meaning there is a bigger possibility you will actually be allowed, to have one in rooms where other people in the household spend there time as well.

And last but not least its 100% silent. Oh I almost forgot it gives all these possibility at a price less than 1/2 of the PS4

Also, all of the "PC gaming on your tablet" is either your PC rendering it, or a cloud server somewhere, your tablet is not actually doing anything other than send input and receive video.

RTWright

Your way of thinking is just as stupid as anyone that I've seen here. There are games on that push over 4GB, especially when they offer high end HD graphics as a secondary download. You seriously don't know what you're talking about in prices either. Cloud Storage is NOT an option on a gaming tablet if you even think you're going to stream a game off of one of them. Games installed on the device itself directly will way out perform any on some stupid cloud storage system other than one designed for gaming like Steam, nVidia's, etc...

That charger they gave with the original tablets will charge that tablet from almost 0 to full in less than 2 hours. So them cutting that was rather cheap on their part as well. They could have kept it WiFi only, with 32GB and Charger for around $249.99 and it would still be a hell of a deal.

- Name 5 games that go OVER 4GB (not counting temporary files or internet cache from ads or similar stuff)
- Cloud storage for any photos, videos or music (you can play games off cloud storage? please tell me how :V ...also game streaming is completely useless)

- no clue on the charger, but I'm pretty sure you can grab a really good charger for $10 that will do just as well (my N5 charger goes from 0 to 100 it in 1.5 hours, got it for $6, LG branded) so I still think it's not that big of a deal...it's not a good idea by any means but it's no reason to bash a company if it lowers the price enough
- A better deal for who? You? Well, for you $50 might not be that much but here $50 is not something you throw away just like that. Having an OPTION is a good idea, but don't assume $50 is the same thing in everyone's eyes.

Nathan Fletcher

That price would be like 330, which would be amazing for this tablet. No excuse for not doing that. The k1 is still powerful, but it need everything else

Try earning $600 per month, $300 of which are for bills and rent (not counting food and drink costs for the next 30 days). Now tell me if $120 on top of the price of something that is already great as it is.

Nathan Fletcher

600 hundred dollars a month breaks down to around for to find hours a day, part time, at minimum wage. That isn't really sustainable if you want a tablet. My point still stands that the benefits to the tablet itself would be a lot more for the extra 120. Oh and btw, I'm part of that "poor college student" crowd

Well, I happen to work for one of the biggest companies in the world and I earn roughly $720. My cousin used to work for a local company for $150.
The thing is, hardware doesn't adjust to local currencies the way food and drinks do, and believe it or not, hardware companies are aware of that (which is why the N5X will flop in the EU, especially the eastern EU).

you can basically run everything from sd, so the 10gb internal space ends up being breathing space for system. at this price is a killer

rap

I so agree. I had 32 on my 2012 n7 and it was full. I'm a casual gamer but I love apps. Is the original still available? I'd like the stylus.

Dedren

If it had Marshmallow out the door, then I could see it skimping on storage for cost, but I think skimping on a charger for cost is just odd. The total cost of a charger and packaging can't be more than $10. Storage probably closer to $20.

TrogdorTheMagnificent

N5 is 380 for 16gb and no SD card, this is almost half the price, what are you complaining about?

Ian Fay

Is there any word on the Pixel C yet? It seems like it's been radio silence since it was announced, and was supposed to have a release this year, I think.

I have a Shield Tablet. Got it very late in the game but the latest update they have for the thing means that it freezes and stutters A LOT! I hope that Marshmallow will fix these issues, but I'd also like to see the tablet get a second generation with a QHD screen.

My daughter literally cried when I told her they no longer sold the X1 and we couldn't get a second one for her, but this K1 at 199 is a fantastic value. She will be very happy on Christmas morning - just ordered hers.

Thanks for the heads-up, Cam!

Philip Owen

I've had the 32gb Shield Tablet since launch day and I love it very much. How often do I use the charging CABLE it came with? Erry-day. How often have I used the CHARGER it came with? Literally never.

T4rd

Does yours charge slow with most chargers? I find that if I don't use the OEM charger that came with it, it charges way too slow to the point where it actually discharges still if I'm using it while plugged in. It does this with all my quick chargers and some of the 2.4A chargers I have, but not the stock 2.1A charger. Pretty odd.

I really wanted one of these, but damn it nVIDIA, why cant I buy it in the EU? Seriously, nothing sells it here and importing it from the US will endup making it $400 minimum =|

nanianmichaels

It is available in the EU.
I've already seen the ad on a Portuguese IT store, and from the announcement I've read on another site, it should be available throughout Europe, including the UK and France.
Let me know if you need a link to the store, I think they might deliver internationally.

someone755

I'll take that link -- I went around the web and found data saying it'll be available in Germany and UK too but can't find anything (not even Amazon says it's there!).

how are colours on this display? i hate my n7 and g pad 8.3 did their lousy displays...

Volodesi

Color looks great on mine. They also give you a lot of color options. You can pretty much adjust them to your liking. The only complaint I've seen is you can see light-bleeding on the edges when looking at it from a certain angle.

We have had the X1 32GB LTE (Nvidia upgraded us from our 16GB WiFi at $299 after an early warranty issue), then the battery fixed one. It is the finest tablet I have ever seen and was heartbroken when they EOL'd it. I just bought a second one and recommend these to everyone I know.

For 199, buy an OEM stylus for 7.99 and a charger for 6, this is an incredible value on an incredible tablet. You will not be dissapoint, I guarantee.

Francois Guillemette

Thanks a lot ! And will get a stylus ! :)

Sequoia46.2

Where do you get a 7.99 OEM stylus? Amazon US and Nvidia's store have it for $20.

I bought spare OEM stylus on Amazon for 7.99 and they are superior. Just add one to your cart, pocket the $90 savings.

T4rd

Odd that it doesn't come with a charger anymore. That might be a concern for some since for some reason my Shield tab doesn't charge very fast at all with any of my quick chargers or 2A+ chargers. It will actually discharge while I'm using it and plugged in with all of my chargers besides the stock/OEM 2.1A charger. I've found other complaining about this on XDA as well.

I use generic chargers with my X1 32GB LTE all the time and they charge it just fine.

Nathan Fletcher

This is exactly my point. Actually why I returned my shield tablet

Saulo Zamora

There are two versions of the K1 processor, 32bit from the original SHIELD tablet and 64bit from the Nexus 9 tablet. Amazon website mentions that it is the 64-bit version. May have received an processor upgrade.

I bought spare OEM styluses at about &7.99 for ours and they are superior. I recommend you pick one up for use with Dabbler, etc.

David T

Considering most apps don't allow that much data to be moved to the sd card AND that internal flash cards are SO much faster it is a complete joke.

xphyle

Clearly you've never owned a SHIELD product. Nvidia has modified the OS so that you can move ALL games and apps to the external SD card. This includes the games apk as well as all associated obb data for said game.

Well, since everyone who jumps on this deal will be laughing all the way to the bank and for joy at owning the finest tablet ever made for a bargain price, I guess I agree.

David T

Missing the point here, 16GB is very limited considering that games can easily exceed several GB and that even without games you can take up many gigs of space. Microsd card is nice BUT it will always be much smaller than eMMC card and thus impact on performance. Having 32GB storage wouldn't really add that much to the price but greatly increase the longevity of the device.

kgptzac

It's inconceivable that a re-release like this one, which cutting a lot of corners, could ever elicit a positive response. 16GB only? No stylus? No charger? The original Shield Tablet was OK but not great because the hardware isn't top notch (I'm a PC gamer), and this re-release just drops the thing a level lower... Does the market really lack cheap and corner-cutting tablets? I think not.

Please, Nvidia, give us a tablet with good hardware for gaming.

Sir_Brizz

The hardware is pretty good still.

Mizo

You kinda missed a lott of the points of why this is a great buy. Especially for a PC gamer.

You do realize that the K1 with its awesome GPU at this price point. actually can outclass last gen consoles (xbc360/ps3).

That's before you load up GeforceNow, and play games with PC graphics in up to 1080p60.

Or if your a PC gamer, then you have the added bonus of taking your games with you around the house:
"run around and do gathering, in a mmo on your tablet. At the same time as you make dinner".
"Sit down on a Sunday to play solo, when relaxing in your Couch". With better graphics than PS4 or xbone can get close to.

A PC gamer with a descent and fairly new setup, will be able to stream play games like:
The Witcher 3 in 4K 60FPS with absolutely everything turn all the way up (filtering, physics, anti-aliasing, shadows and textures, that crank up way past what ps4 and xbone. Can ever dream of handling).

In fact other then the ShieldTV with the X1, its the closest thing to a real next gen console that is available.
No other console, will let you play in 4k on your brand new 75" 4k TV.

It also have a mini-HDMI output and a full-screen mode (on external display) out of the box.

On top of all that, its really small like the ShieldTV. Giving it a really good WAS(Wife acceptance score). Meaning there is a bigger possibility you will actually be allowed, to have one in rooms where other people in the household spend there time as well.

And last but not least its 100% silent. Oh I almost forgot it gives all these possibility at a price less than 1/2 of the PS4

Who said its not a gaming console, as well as a tablet.

David

Couple questions...

1. Does this mean that there won't be a new SHIELD tablet released this year? (This one doesn't count since it's the same hardware)
2. How well has the current hardware held up? My Nexus 7 is starting to show its age and I'd like to replace it with something like this, especially because of the front stereo speakers. Mainly I'd be streaming videos with Plex. Probably still good enough for this purpose, yes?

Sir_Brizz

Performance wise, it is still awesome. If you have a gaming PC, it's designed to stream your games as well.

There likely won't be a new Shield Tablet this year.

David

Cool, thanks, just pulled the trigger on this one. Should be a nice upgrade from my Nexus 7 2013

Sir_Brizz

Nice, I replaced my N7 2013 with it as well and it felt like a serious upgrade.

mizkitty

Looks like a good replacement for my Nexus 7 2013...

Jeffery Legere

there's rumor of a 2016 nexus 7 in the future.

David Li

"a mandatory recall due to battery issues"
The title of the AP article said it was voluntary.

Nathan Fletcher

Nvidia, you're killing me here. I was looking for a shield tablet for the longest time. I was so looking forward to buying one. Now I saw that there is a zenpad s 8.0 with 4gb of ram and 64gb of storage, an amazing screen, and USB type c, I really don't want to buy the shield tablet. I feel like I need the better screen, type c, 64gb of storage, and 4gb of ram. If you had made this tablet 130 dollars more, it would be a definite sale, but nos the shield tablet is looking paultry in comparison.

TylerChappell

/sigh. Why is Nvidia so stupid? No charger included? It's $199. It should include a fkn charger. This isn't some crappy $30-$50 tablet. Or maybe it is. -_-
The $125 16GB Nexus 7 from Groupon the other day is still a better deal despite its hardware limitations.

Mizo

seriously run any app or game that uses the GPU, and the $199 is a way better buy then the nexus 7. The integrated GPU on the K1, is just that much better than most other GPU's integrated on ARM-CPU's

Michael Haverkamp

Question for the experts out there from a basic user... How does this compare to a Samsung Galaxy Tab A or other readily available 8" tablets that are on sale this Black Friday for around $200. I want an android tablet and this seems like the most bang for the buck and is right at my price point. Nexus 9 is out of my budget.

Max Power

Cameron Summerson GO EAT OUT OF A DUMPSTER CHOKE & DIE IN THERE! THE WORLD WOULD BE BETTER WITHOUT YOU HERE.

Jeffery Legere

Why are they dragging their feet on releasing an X1 version? every time there is an article, you see people clamoring for an X1 version. I want a shield tablet so bad it hurts but I am not buying a neutered version when I know they can put out an X1.

raghav

I'd prefer these tablets if only if they had a built in 20mp camera with flash and a front cam + sd card support up to 128GB.

Wahhh

I'm glad I had my first PC in 1995, had to experience dial-up, and went through the tragedy that was Windows ME. Some of you are so jaded by the technology you carry every day it's ridiculous. I honestly think some of you would cry if the power grid failed for more than a day.

Henry S.

I thought the original device was EOL'd because of battery failures, overheating...etc.

Ryan Gallagher

so let me get this straight, no dock for the stylus? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!!! i bought this on the pretense that this was a gaming AND drawing tablet, it doesn't even have a place to put the pen!! what fucking bullshit is this?! not to mention NO CHARGER!! it doesn't even come with a charger!! this is bullshit!! idc how good this tablet is, they don't even include the charger OR STYLUS!! don't waste your money, this is another example of a company nickel and diming the customers THAT MADE THEM FAMOUS!!